*update* Snowy had c-section, HELP ME!!!!**She seems interested!!!!!

[emilysgk]

Well after being in labor for quite some time, no progress. She was in labor all day yesterday, and actually part of the night before. She is still in good shape and not weak or sick, but I know in time that woud have happened. Im not sure whats going on just yet. She was pushing a little of and on, but not straining or seeming to put effort into it like an animal usually does. So I dont know if the contractions were not strong enough or the baby isnt lined up or is too big... Guess I will know eventually. I dont know what im going to do though. I didnt tell them I have no money. I have been trying to get ahold of my dad to see if he can help and so far no luck. :confused: I believe they are going to try and give her a shot and see if they can get her to go on her own still. They were closing for lunch and just had me drop her off and got my info. No exam at the time so I dont know anything at all. I know they will know the best course once they check her out. But a c-section is 225-375 depending on complications and such. I dont know what im going to do. But obviously its an emergency and there is no way around it.... They said I would get a call when she had babies. Like I said, they were busy and closing so I dont know anything much.

[sprokett]

hope she has them eventually keep us posted on how she's doing......well when you know

[emilysgk]

I hate waiting!! I did get ahold of my dad, luckily he is a cat person(has 3 of his own) He didnt seem too unsettled from me asking. He just said to let him knw how much it is when I find out. Today I think is spay day there, so I may not here from them for awhile still. They close from 12-2:30, but its not uncommon to go over an hour or more. Its a very small place and its unproffesional I guess you would say. They dont even keep animals overnight,only rarely since they have no one there. The waiting room and exam room are connected along with the surgery room. They had a cat under while I was dropping her off, looked like it was being fixed up (fight or something I would guess) But as unsettling as it may sound to you all... I have yet to see a cat come home and have complications like infection and such. My family and friends have been going there for years. One vet, one vet tech (whom last I knew was leaving to be a vet herself...but she is back?) today that had a nother guy there taking info down, surprising. They use notecards for info.. no paperwork there. Its interesting at times, looks like they got rid of some of the cats. They used to have about 20 of them, they run free in the place.

But im just waiting anxiously. I keep thinking Im hearing her bell on her collar. lol She is very attatched to me. I havent slep in two days because she wanted me. I sat in the bathroom on the hard floor ALL DAY yesterday. Hours. My mom brough me dinner in there even... Thankfully she lives next door. Maybe im a nut, but she wanted me there so I wasnt going to leave her. If I did, she just would come after me anyways. She picked under the sink in there. Im so tired... im sure she is too though. Poor baby. I will let you all know when I here something for sure.

[barncat]

wishing you all the best... sometimes the small vets are the best.

[catmandu]

We Are Praying Hard For That Momma Cat And Babies , And That The Vet Will Be Able To Help If Need Be.
My Vet Dr Marsales Has A Small Country Practice, And Hes The Best Vet That Ihave Ever Been To.
He Takes A More Personnal Approach Than A Big City Clinic Vet Can.
The Best Of Luck With Your Little Mom Cat, And Kittens.

[emilysgk]

The second paragraph is of more importance. I need help. Really bad...


Im so overwhelmed and so is Snow.... She didnt get her c-section until this evening. not sure the exact time, but I think she must have got done very soon before I went and go her. When we came home she wasnt barely even awake at all and was still chilly to touch. :( Now she wont stay. She still can't walk strait but she seems on a mission to go somewhere. im afraid she is going to hurt herself. There were 4 babies, who decided to race to come out and thats why she couldnt have them, they were jammed up pretty good. 3 calico's and one silver. The silver was dry when delivered and im not sure its going to make it or not yet. But im trying to feed them, its not going all that well. They wont stop crying. Mom almost wants them but not really. I cant keep her confined so well and I couldnt figure out where she kept trying to go. So for now I put the babies in the cabinet where she originally wanted them. I put her in the bathroom with them (she didnt stay with them and headed towards the door as best she could :confused: ) So I put some water and her litter in there and closed the door. That way she is in a somewhat small space and i hope she will settle somewhere. i will keep going and checking on the babies. now i need baby help too.... :(

How often should i feed them? What a somewhat guess on the amount they should eat? (they are quite tiny) All i have to feed them with is an eyedropper with an agled tip, or a syringe they gave me but its the kind a needle goes on, so there is no tip to it! Im feeding what they told me, which is 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup water, and a tablespoon of corn syrup. i have NO MONEY. ugh... I had to buy corn syrup with dimes. HELP ME, what do I do?? How long before you think she may take interest in them? Will she? She is a first time mom, so this must be horribly tramatic. I dont know what to do at all. I cant put the silver one down. The warm bed isnt enough for him, he has to be surrounded so I am keep him close with me to keep warm. He has ate a little bit, his breathing has improved a little more, just cant keep his temp up. We will see how goes.

But seriously, any tips or anything, PLEASE tell me. (Oh, I do know to stimulate there little butts too)

[Lizzie]

Snow is still under the effects of the anesthetic and really disoriented. They always try to wander like that, but the stricter the confinement, the better. She might be better kept in her carrier for the next few hours at least, it will force her to sleep it off. Since you can't put the kittens in the carrier with her while she is so confused, in case she lies on them, they need warmth urgently. Put on warm sweaters and place the silver one inside the inside one next to your heart. Do you have a heating pad? Heat vents? As you know, they need to be in a very enclosed space and a heated one. Use the smallest box with woolies inside and place by or over a heat vent. The kittens need kitten formula because cow's milk will give them diarrhoea, though what they told you to feed them is better than nothing at all. They need to be given fluids every couple of hours at this stage - and you are going to be up all night again! If they seem distressed - gassy, diarrhoea, etc. from the formula you have at present, switch to warm water. Nourishment is not as important as fluids and warmth at this point. You will have to borrow money tomorrow to buy some kitten formula, unless Snow starts feeding them. Hopefully, she will come out of the anesthetic haze by early morning and will start nursing.

Good luck! We are all pulling for you, Snow and the kittens.

[emilysgk]

Ok... so like every two hours then?

I have a heating pad under the box to keep them warm. I took care of a puppy once from 2 days old, but it was only one and so much easier all around. Theses guys I cant hardly keep them still to try and feed them, they get some and we both wear some. The silver one is already doing much better. Maybe it will make it after all. Maybe I should put a pop bottle in there with a sock (warmed of course) maybe they would like that more.

They just wont settle at all. Just cry and cry... is that normal? They dont seem to be resting at all really. Im afriad they will wear themelves out. If Snow dont take interet by tomorrow sometime, the cat next door may nurse them. Her babies are about 6wks old now.

[Lizzie]

I don't understand about the pop bottle, what is it for?

Try these web sites with lots of good information, especially on how to feed the babies and not have the stuff go into their lungs, and how to keep them warm without cooking them, and about excessive crying.

http://www.peteducation.com/category_summary.cfm?cls=1&cat=1388
http://www.safehavenforcats.com/newborn.htm
http://www.waterloowest.com/articles/kittensnewborn.html

[emilysgk]

The pop bottle is for alternate heat source. I had to travel a lot with the puppy and it worked great. Just fill with hot water and put it in a sock. I was thinking maybe it would settle them. They are looking for mom. Keep climbing up and in the blanket. I thought maybe they were too warm, its so hard to keep a good temp, that wasnt it either. Right now they are finally quiet. I took them out of the bathroom long ago in hopes of Snow resting. I dont think she has all that much still, but it has to reduce her stress not to hear them screaming at her. The silver one was doing much better and took a few steps back. Its so fast that they go either way. I havn't gave up hope for it.

In all the time with the kittens, it appears they all have 6 toes. They get it from mom who has 5 1/2.. something like that. Hers looks like two toanails growing together, and most of the babies have a full 6th, one has a half like mom. The 3 calico's are doing very well, extremely active and strong. If I didnt know any better I would want to assume that the silver one was a premie. Deffinate size difference, but also the hair... Its is much thinner and has none really on the belly and legs, you can see through the rest of it. It also looks a lot different... I dont know how to describe it. I suppose it could have something just congenital. Im sorry to ramble, but its 5am and I have not slept a wink tonight and not much more the past two nights. I know if I fall asleep I wont wake up and take care of the babies.

[sprokett]

just giv snow time and shell come around my aunties cat dint take to them for about a whole night we had to lie her down and help the babies drink the milk coz she wouldnt stay still for them but eventually she wouldnt leave them alone it probs just the anesthetic and her being a first time mother shell take to them just try and keep them warm and fed.

[emilysgk]

Well... Snow I think is mostly out of loopy land. She obviously is really unomfortable and still dont want babies. I think she wants them gone actually. :( See she dont like other cats, not even kittens, and she seems to be thinking of them like she does the others. Her latest is some very severe growls at a baby. It was not and had not touched her at all. She was sitting up looking annoyed at it, it happened to squirm her way and thats what she done. (I let her out of the bathroom around 6am.) Okay... she just now climed on the couch. :eek: Didnt jump, just put her fronts up and climbed the back end up. Well she is settled in now looking to the other side of the room where the babies are still crying and looking annoyed. I hope she feels better soon. But I know Snow, and im afraid that since she didnt havve the babies, just woke up feeling like crap with them here... She may not take to them. :( She truly detests other cats of all kinds.

[Catty1]

If you can get a bit of her milk, and rub it on the babies, it might help.

Occasionally, momcats are like that.

Have you asked your vet about this?

I know a few people on this board have bottle fed kittens - jenluckenbach, reachoutrescue, etc. It sounds like you know what you are doing.

Is there a friend who can spell you off every so often so you can sleep?

HUGS

[aki]

Poor Snow! She prolly dosen't understand what happened to her and where these alien cats came from.

I don't have much to add for advice, since i have never been in that situation, but I can offer my prayers that everything will be okay.

~Aki

[Medusa]

You poor thing. And poor Snow. My cat Pigeon was in labor when someone dropped her off in my yard. She had 3 kittens, two of which were stillborn, one survived and she kept trying to smother it, so I removed it and fed it formula that my vet prescribed. I used a little tiny bottle from a toy store that was meant as an accessory for a doll. But it was too premature and died. My point is that sometimes a mother cat knows something we don't and that could be why she's growling. So if she isn't going to take to her kittens, you'll need someone to take over for you when you need some sleep because they'll need to be fed every few hours. Check out the websites that were sent to you because it's very easy to make that heating pad too warm for them. Be sure that it's on the lowest temp. and that there is a blanket or heavy towel on top of it.

As for the expense, it sounds as though your Dad is going to help you out there, being a cat lover himself. If not, talk to your vet and explain the situation and see if you can work out payments.

I wish you all the best and mom and her kittens, too. Please keep us posted.

Blessings,
Mary

[Catlady711]

I've never bottle raised any kitten younger than 2 weeks, however some things stay the same regardless of age.

If the kittens are crying alot it either means:
1) They are too warm
2) They are too cold
3) They are hungry
4) They have to potty
5) Their formula is too warm or cold

Kittens only cry alot when something isn't right, normally they just sleep alot. Hard part is to find out what's wrong.

A heating pad under a box lined with blankets is good, but remember kittens at this age can't crawl so if it's too warm or too cold they can't rearrange themselves to get more comfy until they are about 2 weeks old. You'd have to look up online, or ask someone here, because I can't remember the temperature they prefer, I'm thinking like 80-85 degrees farenheit?

Kittens that age are VERY messy to feed, but keep trying. Don't feed too much formula at once so they don't choke, just a few drops at a time if they can't suck. If they can suck, a bottle with a small nipple on it is best. Make sure to feed them laying on their stomachs, NOT on their backs like a human baby, otherwise they could choke.

Potty them after every 2 hour feeding.

I don't know much about homeade formulas, I've always used commercial ones, however I do know the formula has to be warmed. NEVER feed a kitten that is cold (they can't digest food when they are chilled), and NEVER feed cold formula. The formula has to be warmed just like a human baby, not too hot, not too cold. And if you microwave the formula, be sure to STIR it up good because nuking it can cause hot and cold pockets in the formula which the kittens won't like. Always test the temperature of the formula before feeding, and with multiple kittens make sure the formula hasn't cooled to much between kittens.

If you have, or can borrow a food scale, weigh the kittens every day. They need to gain weight every day. IF they are losing weight or not gaining, then something is wrong. Don't weight them right after feeding, otherwise you're also weighing their meal.

Just remember sometimes with ones that little, even if you do everything 100% right, sometimes they don't make it, don't beat yourself up over it should that happen.

Yup the joy of bottle raising! I sooooo well remember the total lack of sleep, wearing alot of formula, kittens wearing alot of formula, little scratches all over my hands from over-eager paws grabbing for the bottle, stumbling around the kitchen from lack of sleep at 3 a.m. trying to mix formula, and trying to feed/potty 3 kittens at the same time! lol It's hard work but so worth it!!



From this....

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l17/Catlady711/fosters.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l17/Catlady711/Josh1.jpg

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l17/Catlady711/middle.jpg



To this....

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l17/Catlady711/IMG_6719.jpg


Good luck!

[emilysgk]

Thans for all the info everyone, and especially catladay. I finally slept for a whole 2 hours (after a strait 28 without...can you say zombie?) Snow is showing some interest!!! She is laying with them, under the cabinet. They are having a hard time finding the nipples since she is shaved they keep crawling up her chest where the hair is. A couple have latched on for a bit. Now for weather they are getting something, I guess I will figure it out soon enough. I dont want to disturb her by trying to express any milk as of now. She is getting aquainted. Im SO GLAD, and hope it works out. Silver baby (I still cant sex that one... they are tiny babies) Its still up and down. He does well laying with the babies now, he dont get chilled so easy anymore, still weak though. I will have to watch and see if Snow pushes it away. I now I will still have to feed that one regardless until he improves more. Its in no shape to nurse yet. I think the stimulation from the other crawling on him is actually beneful to keeping him pretty stimulated so he dont give up. Now if I can find some batteries for my camera... Not sure about that, but I will try.